The British Ports Association (BPA) has released new guidelines for ports and terminals to tackle modern slavery, human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
Speaking at the guide’s launch at the House of Commons, Mike Sellers, director of Portsmouth International Port and BPA chair, said: “I have no doubt it will eventually save lives as our industry plays its part in tackling the scourge of modern slavery and people trafficking.”
The report’s author, Lisa Lewis, also director of risk and sustainability for a trust port (Cattewater, Plymouth), as well as senior director of security for Europe (DP World), explained that the guide is scalable.
“Ports of any size and capacity should be able to use it to improve their posture against the evils of modern slavery and people trafficking as well as smuggling and threats posed by organised crime,” she said.
“The goal is better planning, enhanced collaboration and putting in place a culture of empowerment that gives port workers the confidence to challenge things that don’t look right.”
Modern Slavery and Smuggling — A Practical Guide provides information and case studies to help ports develop and implement their own programme to tackle these illicit activities.
The guide is designed around five core recommendations:
- Having a policy of zero-tolerance
- Training port staff on what to look for and how to report incidents
- Collecting, evaluating and sharing data on incident
- Seeking out collaborators in the value chain to coordinate and cooperate with
- Disclosing activity with a modern slavery statement
Andy Billings, group head of security for Associated British Ports and chair at BPA and UKMPG Security & Resilience Group, added: “It’s brilliant to see the ports industry taking proactive steps to address risks and threats with this guide.
“Industry networks allow what is a highly competitive sector to come together and collaborate in areas that need a united front to stop criminals from exploiting weak links and blind spots.
“There is always a benefit for us in learning from experiences elsewhere as we seek to work together to reduce crime and make our ports safer.”
Other attendees at the event included maritime minister Mike Kane, MP for Portsmouth North Amanda Martin, as well as other senior representatives from the ports and shipping industry, charities involved in supporting seafarers and victims of trafficking and slavery, and government agencies.
